


Skyward sword

by Wendy0W



Series: The forth force [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Gen, originalcharacter, tetraforce-theory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:34:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25905184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wendy0W/pseuds/Wendy0W
Summary: Have you heard the theory that the Triforce actually is a Tetraforce? In this fan fiction, that theory is true.In the series named “The forth force”, the goal is to follow Link in the entire timeline of The Legend of Zelda with an added character named Wendy, who represents the fourth hidden part of the Triforce.I hope you enjoy!
Series: The forth force [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880017





	1. The beginning

The start of the day might have been hard, but it was definitely one of the best days in Link’s life. Not only was he able to find his Loftwing in time to participate in the Wing Ceremony, but he also won! Therefore, he got to do the award ceremony on the Statue of the Goddess with his childhood friend Zelda. There, she gave him the Sailcloth she made and asked him to fly around together. Drifting with his red Loftwing, he couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky he was.

”...Link? Hey, Link!”  
The young boy slowed down to be able to talk with Zelda without having to shout at the top of his lungs.  
”Today was amazing. Watching you win the race and performing the ritual together... I’ll always remember this.”  
”I will too, you know.” he answered with a smile.  
”It really was wonderful.”

They smiled at each other and stayed silent for a little while. This really was a great day so far.  
”You know... Link... There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about...”  
Of course, it wouldn’t last for long.

A ray of light suddenly appeared right in front of them, causing them both to shield their eyes. And when they finally looked in front of them...  
”What is that?”  
A dark tornado had appeared. Their birds did their best to fight against the wind, but Zelda’s Loftwing was too close to the strange tornado to get away. This caused the bird and the young girl to fall towards the barrier of clouds.

As Link tried to save his friend, he saw a strange phenomenon. Zelda was falling down, but another girl seemed to be shot upwards because of the tornado. Unfortunately for the boy, she crashed onto him, which made him loose consciousness with Zelda’s screams still ringing in his ears. And he kept falling, falling, and falling...

During this fall, he heard an almost robotic voice calling his name. He opened his eyes to see a strange being surrounded by light. That being had a blue head, a purple dress and each of its arms was either blue or purple too.

“I am waiting for you. The time has come for you to awaken. You are vital to a mission of great importance. Link...”

The being then morphed into Zelda, and their positions were exchanged. Afterwards, Zelda fell straight into the mouth of the black creature from his previous nightmares.

The boy woke up in a panic, sitting straight up and trying to catch his breath. He turned his head after hearing the director’s voice:

”Ah, you’re awake.”  
”What happened?”  
”When your Loftwing carried you and that girl back, you were both limp and unconscious. I feared the worst.” Gaepora explained. “Fortunately, you don’t appear to have any serious injuries, although you are the first one to have awaken. For that much we can be grateful.”

Link lowered his head with deception. The girl the director talked about was probably not Zelda, but the one he saw right before fainting.

”But, Link... Where’s Zelda? She was with you, was she not? What happened to my daughter?”

It was painful for Link to think about the incident, but he had to. If someone had the right to know exactly what happened, it was Zelda’s father.

”I was flying in the sky with her, but a black tornado appeared right in front of us. I think she fell because of it... Around the same time, I saw a girl shooting up from the clouds, if I remember correctly.”  
”A black tornado, you say? Hmm. That was no ordinary storm.”

Gaepora started to walk around, his distress showing clearly. This motivated Link to stand up and look for his missing friend, but the man turned around immediately.  
”You must not push yourself. You’re still recovering.”  
Of course, Link could tell he was right so he didn’t fight back.

”Tell me, when you saw Zelda today, did anything about her seem... off?”  
”Well... she did talk about a voice calling her and the surface a little, but I don’t see anything else.”  
It seemed important, so Link also talked about his recent strange dreams. Afterwards, the director fell silent.

”I’m sorry, I was lost in thought there for a moment. It’s all very strange, but I doubt there’s much of a connection between these things. I’m concerned for Zelda but so long as she’s with her Loftwing, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Either way, daybreak has yet to arrive. It would be very difficult to spot one girl and her bird in the dark of night. It would also be very dangerous.”

He walked to the door, but stopped in front of it to look at the boy again.  
”Rest now, Link. Zelda’s going to be fine. She’s out there alive, I know it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on that other girl.”

Link watched Gaepora leave, his mind filled with worry. After a minute or two, he heard a strange sound coming from the other side of the door. This caused him to stand up and open the door to see what was happening. He couldn’t just stay still in this situation, after all! So after opening his door and peeking at the hallway, he saw... the strange being of his dreams floating in front of him!

”Who... who are you?”

The creature didn’t answer and went upstairs. Did it want Link to go there too? After thinking about it, the boy decided to follow that blue and purple creature. This caused him to get out of the school and go in front of the Goddess’ Statue, with a cat thinking it would be great to attack a knight with a sword.

When he arrived, the being went through the base of the statue and a passageway appeared. Link came to a stop at this sight, confused by the recent series of events. He finally went inside, although he was still hesitant.


	2. The sword

The first thing Link saw was a sword stuck in a pedestal with no sign of the one who led him there. That sword had a blue handle and a blue gem at the start of its blade. The design was simple, but something still made it feel different. It almost seemed like... the sword was glowing in the darkness of the statue! Intrigued, the young knight stepped forward to have a closer look.

Suddenly, the creature from his dreams came out of the sword. Now that he could have a better look, he could clearly see the feminine face that being had. He also noticed her absence of arms, instead having a floating cloth. She looked straight at Link before speaking.

”The one chosen by my creator. I have been waiting for you. You will play a role in a great destiny. According to your social customs, I should provide you with my personal designation. Fi is the name I was given.”  
” Fi...?”

Link didn’t know what to think. Something was off about this girl, and it wasn’t the inhuman color her skin had. No, the problem was her voice and face: they expressed little to no emotion! It just felt wrong on so many levels, he didn’t even know how to react.

”I was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memory of your people. I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry”  
Fi turned her head towards the pedestal.  
”Come, Link. You must take up this sword. As the one chosen by my creator, it is your destiny.”

Link’s face was filled with incomprehension. What was Fi talking about? He had a destiny, and he HAD to take the sword?! That couldn’t be possible!

”The strange dreams troubling your sleep. My sudden appearance. Uncertainty surrounding the fate of the one you hold dear. Under the circumstances, it is only logical that you would exhibit some apprehension.”  
How did she know so much about him and what happened to him? None of this made sense...

”To minimize your uncertainty, allow me to share some information. My projection indicate that this information has a high probability of altering your current emotional state. The one you seek, honorable Zelda, is still alive.”  
”Really?!”  
All of a sudden, hope came back for real. It wasn’t just a feeling, it was a confirmation! Zelda was alive!

”And this spirit maiden... the one you call Zelda... is another chosen one fated to be part of the same great mission. Therefore, should you wish to meet your friend, I highly recommend you take up this sword before you set out to search for her. Does that information invigorate you? Are you ready to accept this sword?”

Link rushed towards the sword without thinking, and Fi floated above the sword looking at him.  
”It seems that further persuasive measures will not be required. In the name of my creator, draw the sword and raise it skyward.”  
As he did so, the boy saw a ray of light going down the blade. And when the light reached the handle, the name “Goddess Sword” came to his mind.

”Recognition complete. Master... Link ... My master.”  
Link lowered the sword, still confused by the events that were happening.  
”Link!”  
Hearing the voice, he turned around to see Gaepora and another girl standing at the entrance.

The girl was hiding behind the director with a look of worry in her purple eyes. She had long brown hair tied into a single braid. She was wearing a simple black dress, and had an upside-down triangle as a pendant. Her pointed ears showed she was Hylian too, but the town was small and Link didn’t recognize her, so where did she come from?

”Gaepora?”  
”I’ve had my suspicions, but until now I wasn’t sure. Yet here we are in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place where it was foretold the youth of legend would one day appear.”  
The girl looked at Zelda’s father and then at Link.  
“So you’re saying that... that boy is...?”  
Gaepora looked at her and nodded, which caused her eyes to widen.

”It is said that this place was left to our people by the goddess herself.” he explained. “The very knowledge of this room’s existence is a secret passed down a select few each generation, along with a handful of words...”

Gaepora took a breath before telling the legend he knew.  
“When the light of the goddess’s sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred.”

Stepping forward, he kept talking.  
”It started days ago. The sword that I’ve kept secret all these years... It began to give off a faint, otherworldly light. At first I was sure I was seeing things, here alone with the sword. There was simply no other explanation. I never dreamed the prophecy of legend would come to pass in my lifetime. The words I have sworn to keep secret are coming true before my very eyes.”

This time, the girl was the one who spoke out.  
”The youth will be guided by one born of the blade: one who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable.”

Fi stepped in the conversation with almost a sarcastic tone in her voice.  
”Ah yes, the oral tradition, one of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission. It appears that critical sections of the passage have been lost over the generations.”  
Link and Gaepora looked at each other with astonishment.

”The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess’s chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit. He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below... And united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land.”

Hearing these words caused Link’s eyes to widen. This reminded him of the conversation he had hours earlier with Zelda, where she talked about a place under the clouds called surface. Could that land be...?  
”Master, you must embark on a great journey beneath the clouds to the vast realm of the surface.”  
He knew it.

It is only through this journey that you can fulfill the mission set before you by my creator, the goddess. It is also the only method available for you to reunite with the spirit maiden, honorable Zelda.”  
”This is no easy task, Link.” Gaepora warned. “The world below is a forsaken place and to reach it you must pierce the cloud barrier below.”  
”But sir, it isn’t impossible.” the girl stated. “I lived on the surface after falling by accident as a child, so it has to be possible!”

Fi summoned a stone with an emerald on it before explaining.  
”This tablet will illuminate a path through the clouds to the land below. Take it, and place it within the altar behind me. Master, the first thing you must do is hit the crest sitting in this room with a Skyward Strike. These blasts are formed of pure energy that charges within your blade when you lift it skyward. Once you have charged your blade, face the crest and swing your sword to send out a powerful Skyward Strike.”

Link stepped forward, sword in hand, and followed Fi’s instructions. When the strike collided with the crest, the latter began to spin before going up. That showed an empty space in which he could put the stone.

”Master Link, it is done. Until now, a cloud barrier created by the goddess has separated the world you know from the one below. The tablet you placed in the altar has opened a small rift in the barrier. You can use it to travel through the clouds to the real, below. I have recognized you as my master, and so it is my duty to follow you wherever you may go. I reside within your sword and will accompany you in your travels.”  
After saying those words, Fi came back inside the blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we encounter Fi!


	3. Take flight

After Fi disappeared into the sword, Gaepora approached Link.  
“Link, listen a moment. The nature of the great apocalypse mentioned in the old texts is a complete mystery to me. But whatever it turns out to be, it seems that both you and Zelda have big roles to play in the destiny of this land.”  
“It does look like it.”

“But just think: if what this Fi says is true, Zelda is alive! Alive and no doubt coming to terms with whatever it is the goddess has in store for her. Should you heed the call of destiny, I don’t know what dangers you may have to face, Link. Especially down there... But if you’re decided to brave the unknown, please find my daughter and bring her back to me.”  
“Don’t worry, I will. I will find her.”  
“You do your people proud, Link!”

Gaepora looked around the place while speaking.  
“Dawn is drawing near. It has been a long night for all of us, hasn’t it?”  
Link nodded while holding back a yawn.  
“You have a great journey before you Link, and those clothes... They don’t look up to the task. The uniform you were to receive for winning the race should be ready by now. A sturdy uniform like that will prove much more suitable for a long journey. You’d better change before you go.”

The girl in the black dress stepped forward, coming closer to the duo.  
“Excuse me, but I just thought... This boy, Link, he needs to go below the clouds, right?”  
“Yes, that’s the plan for now. What about it?” Gaepora answered.  
“The thing is... I’ve lived there as far as I remember, so I could help Link in his journey. If he agrees, of course!”

Link looked at the girl, thinking it over. She didn’t look like a knight, but he didn’t know anything about the surface either. Would it really be wise of him to take a potential dead weight with him on such an important quest? But appearances can be deceiving, he knew that.

“It would be nice of you, but are you sure you will be alright? This might be dangerous after all.”  
“Oh, don’t worry about that! If someone or something attacks me, I won’t go down without a fight! I can fend for myself, you know.”  
“Then, may I know my partner’s name?”  
“Wendy! My name is Wendy.”

The following morning, Link discovered his new uniform: a green tunic with a hat of the same color. He was waiting for Wendy in front of the school, adjusting his sword, s shield given by a teacher and the adventure pouch given by Fledge. When she finally arrived, she had some gear too. There was a small dagger at her waist, and she was also wearing two rings on her right hand. While the use of the rings was unknown to him, the dagger didn’t need an explanation.

“So, the cloud barrier has an opening now, right? How do we find it?”  
“I guess we’ll have to fly around and look for it.”  
“Fly...? You mean on these big birds?”  
“They’re called Loftwings. Everyone on Skyloft has one.”

Wendy slowly repeated the word, trying to remember it. Was there no Loftwing on the surface? What kind of creature even was on the surface? He had no idea.  
“So... how do we get onto one of these Loftwings? Do they go on the ground?”  
“They can, but there is a faster method.”  
“What is it?”  
“Follow me, I’ll show you.”

Link led the girl to the nearest ledge while telling her to hold on tight. It would be bad if she fell just like that. When they jumped, she let out a loud scream of terror, only stopping once the Loftwing was carrying them both. It took her some time to catch her breath afterwards, and even more before she opened her eyes. He knew it because of the gasp he heard after a while.

They both looked around, although for different reasons: Wendy was admiring the surroundings, while Link searched for the hole in the barrier. He found it at the south of Skyloft, but there was a little problem...

“My Loftwing won’t be able to go through!”  
“What?! What do we do?”  
After checking what he had on him, he thought of something.  
“I might have a solution, but I don’t think you’ll be happy...”  
She paled at these words.

“We’ll have to fall.”  
“Say what?! Are you crazy?! There’s no way I’ll fall from that height! We’ll die!”  
“I have something to slow down the fall! Otherwise, I wouldn’t even think about it. Do you trust me?”  
She didn’t answer, but her grip got stronger.  
“I’ll take that as a yes!”

When they fell again, she screamed again. Link made sure to open his sailcloth as soon as possible to control their landing speed. When they arrived, she looked around to figure out where they landed.

“Wait... this place... we’re in the Sealed Grounds, maybe?”  
“You recognize it?”  
“I think I do, but last I checked, there was no Deku Baba...”  
“And they are?”  
“The plants over there. They’ll attack you if you get too close.”

Wendy looked through the fence before turning around, panicked.  
“The... the seal is... We need to hurry!”  
“What’s going on?”  
“The seal is breaking! I... We need to do something!”

The duo ran until they were in front of a building and a cliff. Link came to a stop as his surroundings turned dark. He then saw the dark creature from his dreams rise and attack him before coming back to reality.

There was a hand on his shoulder. Wendy was looking at him: she seemed worried. Her eyes kept going back and forth between Link and the seal down the cliff. Was she talking? Yeah, she probably was. What was she saying?

“Link! What’s wrong?! Are you alright?!”  
The boy blinked a few times before nodding and starting to go down the cliff. Wendy followed him, although she stayed really close. Did he just have an hallucination? No wonder she was worried if that was the case.

When the pair arrived, they could both sense the dark energy coming from the seal. Link looked at his partner, eyes wide.  
“What IS that thing?!”  
“I don’t know! All I was told is that it’s dangerous and can’t get out at any cost!”  
“Then how do we seal it? Do you have any idea?”  
“Hold on, let me think...”

Wendy fell silent for a moment, looking at the pillar on the magic circle and almost talking to herself.  
“Maybe... would it work...?”  
“Did you find anything?”  
“It’s just a guess, but... wouldn’t a Skyward Strike work?”

Link looked at his sword and thought about it a little. Fi told him this sword could banish evil, so...  
“It might work. Step back a little, I’ll try.”  
Raising his sword skywards, the knight closed his eyes and focused. As soon as the ray of light touched the seal, all the black fog that was forming disappeared.

All of a sudden, the Sealed Grounds seemed to come back to life. Flows of air came from the ground, the birds started to sing, and the door of the building unlocked itself. The pair went back up the cliff and stopped in front of the building. 

“I guess it’s time you meet the Guardian of the seal.”  
“What were they doing? If they’re supposed to guard it, why didn’t they react when the seal was breaking?”  
“I can’t know for sure, but she might have known we would arrive and trusted us to deal with it on our own. I still can’t understand her sometimes, even after all this time.”

Together, the duo opened the door of this building, one going into the unknown, the other one coming back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Wendy is introduced, and I think you can tell she isn’t really found of falling.


	4. The Sealed Grounds

Link and Wendy entered what seemed like a temple. There was a door to their right, and a large alcove on their left. The high ceiling was supported by several pillars right and left and had a crack at the other side of the room, letting a ray of light go through. This ray of light shone upon an old lady, up some staircase. As he came closer to her, Link noticed the gigantic door behind her, but decided not to go through as there was probably a reason the lady was in front of it.

“Ah... The traveler descended from the clouds above. I welcome you, child of fate. And welcome home, Wendy”  
Link looked at the girl, who was now standing in a very polite manner. That lady said welcome home, so she was probably the one who raised her. If Wendy was so polite towards her, then Link should probably watch his manners too.

“Tell me, what is your name, young boy?”  
“My name is Link.”  
“Ah, Link. Good. Very good. I sense you have already gained control over the sacred power that fills your sword when pointed skyward. The skyward strike is yours to command. It is proof you are fit to bear the blade you carry, the Goddess Sword.”

Did that mean he was the only one who could use it at its full potential? That was good to know.  
“I have sat here for many years waiting for you to arrive. All so that I could fulfill my purpose as your guide.”

Wendy went to the guardian’s side and looked at Link before speaking.  
“This place is the Sealed Temple, a place built by the goddess an eternity ago. Your arrival here was predestined many years ago, or so I’ve heard.”  
So it was always a part of his destiny. Wendy then seemed to ask something to the lady, and a small conversation occurred before she stepped back, an almost surprised look on her face.

The lady then turned to Link and talked to him again.  
“The spirit maiden you seek arrived here shortly before you, descending to this land in a shower of light. There’s no doubting it. The gears of fate have begun to turn. Yet all is not as it should be. The spirit maiden was not meant to reach this land in the manner she did. I feel an evil power working in the shadows. It moves to warp the destiny of which you three are a part.”

This surprised the knight. He knew the situation was bad, but he thought everything was going as predicted! And now he learns that for some reason, something went wrong? He hoped Zelda was still alright.

“Link... You are concerned for the spirit maiden and seek her whereabouts, yes?”  
The boy nodded.  
“That is understandable, but for now you must focus on moving forward. That girl has her own purpose she must pursue, as you do. She set out for Faron Woods to discover that destiny for herself, and you must follow.”

Since Link looked confused, Wendy came forward with a map in her hands.  
“I know this place pretty well, so I don’t think I need that anymore. So you can have it! It’s a map of all the surroundings of Faron Woods, so it could be helpful while we’re here don’t you think?”  
He took the map, thanking his partner while doing so.

“Go now. You two must head into Faron Woods and chase after the spirit maiden... the one you call Zelda.”  
“Goodbye! I’ll be back soon!”  
Wendy took one last glance to the lady before going outside, Link following soon after.

“So that person was...?”  
“Yes, she’s the guardian of the seal, and the one who raised me. Is that what you were going to ask?”  
“Yeah...”  
A strange silence had fallen onto the pair. Whatever that lady said to Wendy, she didn’t seem to know how to react to it.

Link was about to ask her if she was alright when Fi came out of his sword all of a sudden, making both of them jump back in surprise.  
“Master Link, I have detected an aura that correlates to your Sailcloth.”  
“Um... Fi? Could you please warn us the next time you do this?”  
“I am sorry, master. I will be more careful about it next time.”

Wendy asked Fi: “What do you mean by an aura similar to the Sailcloth?”  
“I surmise this aura belongs to Zelda. I can lead you in the direction of this aura through a process known as dowsing. This means that when you’re not fighting, the end of your sword will glow if pointed in the right direction.”  
She then came back inside the sword, as fast as she appeared.

Link tested it out, but...  
“Why does it glow towards the wall? That doesn’t make any sense...”  
“I dunno... it might only indicate the general direction, not the one you need to take. In that case, the sword would not point to the wall, but what is behind it.”  
“That would make more sense.”

Wendy stepped forward, smiling a little.  
“Follow me, I’ll show you the way. The woods are over there.”  
On their way, they found a big creature called a Goron according to Wendy. That Goron was attacked by Bokoblins, so they fought to save him.

During this battle, Link was really impressed by Wendy’s fighting technique. While he was taught to find the weak points in his enemy’s defense and strike there, she was different. He could tell she observed her opponent’s posture, and always positioned herself according to it. The monsters’s weapons almost always hit her rings, which allowed her to steal those and use them against their owners.

After that battle, they activated a statue of a Loftwing connected to the sky if what the Goron said was true. The Goron then spoke about the city in the clouds he had heard about: probably Skyloft. The start was close to the real deal, but then he went completely out of line.

Apparently, he was immortal because he drank water from the river of his town, and the fruits were so powerful that they could cure any disease! Link and Wendy both had a hard time trying not to burst out laughing at how exaggerated this all was. It would be mean of them to crush this poor Goron’s dreams after all!

Looking at his ally, Link couldn’t help but smile. She seemed so much happier than when they had left the Sealed Temple! Whatever was bothering her back there, he sure hoped it wouldn’t anymore. They made their way towards Faron Woods again, but fortunately there was more energy in their footsteps than before.

‘I guess a good laugh can really be helpful sometimes...’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve always wondered how Link would react to what that Goron said about Skyloft, but the one in my story has difficulties at staying serious in such a situation.


	5. The Kikwis

“Master, you have entered Faron Woods.”  
Link hadn’t seen the change in area, so the statement Fi just made surprised him. He thought it would be farther away. He then guessed that the landmark was that gigantic tree he could see in the distance.  
“Hey! I was about to tell him that!”

The boy turned to Wendy, who was pretending to be angry. He smiled at the effort, but it was easy to tell she wasn’t angry at all.  
“I am sorry. If you wish so, I can let you present the area instead of me.”  
“Huh? Oh no, I wasn’t mad at all! It was just a joke, don’t worry about it...”  
They had both forgotten. Fi isn’t the best at understanding and expressing emotions.

“Then allow me to continue. The plentiful water in this region clearly sustains a large diversity of flora, including this massive tree. It is logical that the lush plant life and water resources have attracted animal species to the region. Looking at the probabilities, it is extremely likely that Zelda is somewhere in the area. I recommend you continue to use your dowsing ability to search for her.”

Link didn’t get how half of it would be useful to him, but Wendy still gave Fi an encouraging smile.  
“Thank you! I couldn’t have done any better.”  
Seeming unfazed by the compliment, Fi came back into Link’s sword without a word.

“Do you think I offended her?”  
Wendy now had that sad look on her face, so Link tried to reassure her.  
“I don’t think so, but she probably didn’t know how to react. I’m sure it will come with time!”  
“I really hope so...”

The sword led them towards a creature with grass on its back, which was attacked by a group of Bokoblins. After the pair defeated the monsters, the small being stood up on shaking legs and let out a scream at the sig of Link. It started running deeper in the forest right away.

“What... was that?”  
“A Kikwi. They all live in this forest, but they are a little bit coward. If they don’t know you, they’ll always think of the worst possibility: this one probably thought you were out to get him too.”  
“And what’s its name?”  
“I’m bad at remembering names, but maybe... I think it was Machi? I dunno...”

After thinking a little, a question raised in Link’s mind.  
“Why did the sword recognize Machi as Zelda? They aren’t similar at all...”  
“I have no idea either, but it might be best if we follow him. We might learn something if we do.”

After chasing the Kikwi for some time, they found Machi hiding behind a tree. Wendy asked Link to stay behind while she reassured the creature.  
“Link! You can come now!”  
The boy walked slowly, not wanting to scare the Kikwi away again.

“Kee-paleep! I’m Machi. I’m a Kikwi. You seem OK, even though you’re scary. Thanks for helping me!”  
“You’re welcome.”  
“But that’s weird, kee-koo. A little while ago I ran into another funny animal like you, but that one was a girl.”  
Wendy and Link looked at each other.

“Could it be... Zelda?”  
“What’s a Zelda? I don’t know who this girl was, koo-kwee, but she was in a bunch of trouble when I saw her.”  
“What happened? Can you tell us?”  
“A pack of those red guys were after her, kwee, but she escaped with the Kikwi elder.”

Wendy looked at Link before saying:  
“I think I know where to find the elder, he’s often on the same spot in the forest. Do you want to look for him?”  
“Well, if Zelda was with him, it would be the best thing to do. So where do we go?”  
“The last time I saw him, he was over there.”

Link followed his partner through the forest and found himself in an open area. Here, there was a way bigger Kikwi than Machi, if you could even consider that a Kikwi.  
“Hi Bucha!”  
“Oh, Wendy! It has been a while since last time. How have you been, kwee?”  
“I’m fine thank you, but Link and I are looking for someone, and Machi told us you were with her.”

The elder looked at Link like he hadn’t noticed him. He then took some time to think before speaking.  
“Are you talking about the girl creature with the blond hair? She looked like one of your kind, so...”  
“That’s right, that’s probably her.” Link answered.  
“Then, how about we trade information? You told me that Machi is safe, but I still have no idea where three other Kikwis are. If you find them, then I will tell you where that girl went.”

Link’s eyes widened. They were supposed to do this guy’s job to know where Zelda was? What kind of deal was that?  
“Deal taken.”  
What!? Why?

As they started looking for the Kikwis, Wendy explained her choice to the boy.  
“When Bucha decides he won’t talk, he won’t no matter what. It’s better to just do what he asks.”  
After searching the forest for a while, using the dowsing ability to be faster, they found Lopsa, Erla and Oolo, the three missing Kikwis.

After coming back to the elder to inform him of his comrades’s positions, he told them that Zelda headed to the temple “deep within the woods”, also called the Skyview Temple according to Wendy. He also gave them two slingshots to have an easier access to said temple.

They walked for a while, with Wendy having a feeling that they were being watched by someone. They found a Loftwing statue in front of a building. After hitting a crystal on the ceiling, a door leading to a corridor opened. The place was weird, with glowing mushrooms everywhere. He was grateful they were there, as there was no other source of light around.

This all felt menacing, but Link knew he had to get in. This is why, after watching the environment, he didn’t hesitate to go inside the temple, a determined look on his face. Wendy, on the other hand, gave a last worried glance to the forest before letting out a sigh. She then followed Link inside, to be here if he needed her help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we have met the Kikwis!


	6. The Skyview temple

As usual, Fi got out of Link’s sword to give him more information on where they were.  
“Master, I have bad news. The auras of many creatures reverberate throughout this temple. As a result, I can’t isolate Zelda’s aura. You will not be able to track her here. Given the situation, I suggest you look around to see where we should move next.”  
She then disappeared without leaving the duo enough time to react.

“So... what do we do now?” Wendy asked.  
“I don’t know right now. You know the place, right? Where do you think Zelda went to?”  
She took some time to think before answering.  
“She... might be at the Skyview spring? That’s the one place that’s always safe, no matter what, but it’s at the other side of the temple... It will take us a while to get there.”

They went down the corridor, using their blades to get rid of the spiderwebs on their way. Wendy also took out a map she made herself, apparently. Each locked door and each corresponding key were marked on this map: according to her, she always had to close everything after leaving, in case some monsters decided to invade the place. That was a good call: there were monsters everywhere now, so what would have happened had these doors not be locked?

They went through a room where they had to raise the water level by going to adjacent rooms to progress. They then ended up in the central room, but the quickest path to the spring was blocked. There was another path possible, but Deku Bakas were growing from the ceiling, preventing them from crossing the pit before the door.

“Oh yeah! Now that I think about it, there was a treasure chest here with something else than a key!” Wendy said all of a sudden.  
“Really? Where was it? And will it help us?”  
“Well, you see that small room over there? If I remember correctly, it was there. Do you want to get in here?”

A nod was all it took to go inside the room, but when they entered, the door locked itself after closing on its own. When the duo looked at what was at the center of the room, Link could only see bones but Wendy turned pale, so there was probably something else to it. This feeling was confirmed when the bones started to move, forming a skeleton with. And of course, that skeleton had two swords, and was ready to kill them.

Without saying a word, Link and Wendy both took out their weapons. Aiming at the space between the Stalfos’s swords to be able to hurt it, they did their best to avoid the monster’s attacks. While Link had a shield, Wendy didn’t, and she knew that one hit from such a weapon could be fatal.

After some time spend fighting like that, the girl managed to steal one of the monster’s swords and use it against its former owner. This caused the Stalfos to be more on the defense than before, as it was more difficult for it to block other weapons now. And thus, the enemy fell soon after and a chest appeared in its stead.

They opened the chest, and found... a beetle-like machine?  
“So this is what we need?”  
“Apparently. I don’t recall using it before, but if it’s something else than a key, it must be useful, don’t you think?”  
“If you say so...”  
Link couldn’t even start to guess how such an object could ever be useful to them, but...

“How do we use it? It might help us get past that locked door...”  
“Hold on, let me try.”  
Wendy was inspecting the device, looking for anything that might be a switch. After a while, she asked Link to stay silent, closed her eyes and focused.

All of a sudden, the beetle started to fly. It went through an opening high on a wall and disappeared from the boy’s field of view. He waited some time in silence, even though he wanted to ask Wendy what she was doing right now. Then, the door opened after a clicking was heard: did the beetle hit a switch of some kind? Soon enough, the device came back and landed on the girl’s shoulder.

Link looked at Wendy with wonder as she finally opened her eyes.  
“How did you get it to work? Cause that was kinda weird...”  
“Honestly, I have no idea. I just thought of using it, and then it was like I was the beetle... Now that I think about it, it’s a little scary...”

They used the beetle again to get rid of the Deku Babas, Wendy controlled it while Link defended her from any incoming attacks. Using the same methods to solve several puzzles, they made their way towards the spring, fighting other monsters on the way. They then found a sculpture that could be used as a key to the last room of the temple.

“If I remember correctly, it should go like this...”  
Wendy turned the sculpture in the right direction before putting it in the door. Afterwards, the keyhole disappeared and the door slowly opened. Link rushed in, hoping Zelda would be there, and Wendy followed him almost right away.

The room was circular, and empty besides the pillars against the walls. There was a golden door on the opposite side of the room, although it had no doorknob. The duo walked to the center of the room, but then a light appeared and they both shielded their eyes. That light gradually turned into darkness, a magical darkness surrounding a rapier. And of course, they weren’t alone anymore. Someone was holding that blade.

The person’s hair was white, unnaturally so. His clothes were white, his gloves were too, even his skin was so pale it could be considered white! The only thing on him that wasn’t white was his cape, which was red with yellow on the other side. The person held his blade behind his back, before making it disappear.

No word was said, but none was necessary. As soon as that guy appeared, Link and Wendy both knew deep down that another fight was coming. Still without a word, they got closer to each other, on edge. They were both ready for whenever an attack would come from the one at the other side of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They went through the temple easily, but getting past that foe might be difficult.


	7. Wrong

Link and Wendy were staring at the person who appeared in front of them.  
“Look who it is...” he said while turning around. “I thought that tornado I stirred up would have tossed and torn you both apart, yet here you are. Not in pieces.”  
He then looked at the door behind his back.

“Not that wether you live or die has any consequence. It’s just the girl that matters now, and I can sense her here... just beyond this door. Yes, we plucked Her Majesty from her perch in the clouds, and now she’s ours.”  
Wendy clenched her fists at these words. She did her best to not attack that guy right there and then.

“Oh, but listen to me, I’m being positively uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Demon Lord who presides over this land you look down upon, this world you call the surface. You may call me Ghirahim. In truth, I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim. But I’m not fussy.”

Why did Link think Wendy would call him Ghirahim out of pure spike... Maybe because she really looked furious right now. He made a small gesture to warn her not to do something stupid. The situation was bad, but one wrong move could only make it worst. This didn’t change anything, as Wendy still took out her dagger.

“Did you really draw your blade? Foolish girl.”  
Not wanting to be defenseless in the upcoming fight, Link took his sword out too. Ghirahim turned around, facing them fully for the first time.

“By all rights the girl should have fallen into our hands already. She was nearly ours when that loathsome servant of the goddess snatched her away. Do you have any idea how that made me feel inside?”  
“Angry?” Wendy answered.  
‘What are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed?!’  
“Furious! Outraged! Sick with anger”

Ghirahim had disappeared, and his voice now came from every direction possible.  
“This turn of events has left me with a strong appetite for bloodshed.”  
Wendy and Link looked around, trying to spot him. This was useless, as their enemy really was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard behind them, and Ghirahim’s head slid between the two partners, his voice now barely a whisper.  
“Still... it hardly seems fair, being of my position, to take all of my anger on you two. Which is why I promise up front not to murder you...”

‘Don’t say anything Wendy, please don’t say anything that would make it worse...’  
“No, I’ll just beat you within an inch of your life!”  
‘Well, I guess it couldn’t get worse in the first place.’  
Link and Wendy both recoiled with disgust and horror as Ghirahim stuck his tongue out like a snake.

He then started laughing as his cape disappeared. A flash of light happened again, and when Link could see again, Wendy wasn’t here anymore. Instead of her, Ghirahim looked ready to kill him. He drew Wendy’s dagger, and the fight started.

Wendy could tell something was wrong the moment Link disappeared. Ghirahim had all his gear, but she never heard of a spell allowing two people to exchange places while having all the objects the other one owned. Yeah, this was definitely fishy. She’d have to be careful.

The girl walked slowly, trying to figure out the best way to approach her foe. His position was so easy to read, would someone called the dark lord really be that bad at sword fights? This doesn’t feel right... It didn’t prevent her from stealing the sword, but she could barely use it before it wa taken from her. Maybe it was for the best: while she knew how to fight with a sword, she always found them too heavy, so they often got in the way during a battle.

Instead of fighting, she did her best to avoid the attacks while thinking as fast as possible. So, Ghirahim made Link disappear somehow and took all his gear, including the Goddess Sword. He seems experienced with fights, but not as much as one would expect from a self-proclaimed Dark Lord. And there was something familiar with his posture too...

Her gut feeling increased at the thought of her enemy’s posture. Where had she seen someone fight that way? It was recent, wasn’t it... She knew it was important, she needed that information to understand what was going on. But no matter how much she thought about it, no possible answer came to her mind. She didn’t like that.

Then, her opponent used a skyward strike.  
...  
‘He used a skyward strike!’  
That’s when it clicked.

She knew Link was the only one who could use that power. Yet, she just saw Ghirahim using that ability.  
‘It’s wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong!’  
The one she was fighting wasn’t an enemy, but her ally, Link?! What was she supposed to do?!

The illusion was starting to break on her side. The hair of the person in front of her wasn’t that white anymore, she was starting to see brown. His clothes started to appear to her eyes again. So knowing this was an illusion could break the spell? No, not exactly. Link was still fighting her. What could she do to make him realize it was her?

The first thing Wendy did was putting her dagger back in its sheath. She wanted to make it clear that she didn’t want to fight. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough: Link didn’t stop his attacks. Her mind was racing: if Ghirahim found Zelda, it was over. At first, she wanted to keep fighting to win some time, but it wouldn’t work if her opponent wasn’t Ghirahim!

Link seemed a little hesitant now, but it wasn’t enough. She tried talking to him, telling him to stop, but he didn’t seem to hear her voice. She needed to end this fight fast, but she didn’t want to hurt his partner. At the same time, she knew Ghirahim might not want her dead, not with what Impa told her.

Wendy looked at her hand before clenching her fist. She tried to focus long enough to have a ‘flash’ as she called it. It worked soon enough: she could see herself lying on the floor of the room, with Link trying to protect her from Ghirahim. Did he step in when she got supposedly hurt by Link?

It was a risky bet, but one she had to do. There was probably something smarter to do, but she couldn’t lose time anymore. She had to try it. Link was preparing another attack, so she stepped in the way his sword would go. Not wanting to see the blow coming, she closed her eyes.  
‘I hope that’ll work...’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Did Wendy’s plan work or not?
> 
> By the way, this fight scene was the first idea I had about this story, so I hope it went alright.


	8. Hurry

When Link’s sword hit his opponent, there was a flash of light. The knight hid behind his shield in case of a surprise attack, but instead he saw Wendy fall to the ground, injured. What in the world happened?! He looked around in a panic, trying to figure out where his enemy was, but he couldn’t see where Ghirahim was.

Seeing no imminent threat around, Link tried to see what he could do to help his friend. Now, the boy wasn’t a doctor or anything, but he could tell Wendy was in a bad state: the blade had nearly struck her vitals, it was even a miracle she survived the hit. Link felt guilty when noticing that the wound was probably made by him. Where they fighting each other this entire time? Why didn’t he notice it in time...?

His train of thoughts was cut short by Ghirahim appearing in the middle of the room. After snapping his fingers, the blade he had appeared in his hand again. Acting as fast as possible, Link positioned himself between the dark lord and the wounded girl. His enemy summoned projectiles before sending them in his direction.

The boy tried to reflect those with his sword, which was a difficult task: he managed to stop several of them, but some still went past him. Fortunately, for an unknown reason, Ghirahim decided to make some projectiles disappear before they could hit Wendy. Link still couldn’t get a breathing, though.

Ghirahim charged at him, and a sword fight occurred. Link did his best to strike the demon lord while protecting his friend as much as possible. This was far from an easy task, as Ghirahim kept teleporting around him to strike him from behind. Of course, the knight was glad he never tried to attack Wendy, but this didn’t help him to hit the other swordsman.

The fight lasted for a very long time, leaving the boy exhausted went Ghirahim finally stopped his assault. He stepped back a little before pointing his sword towards tLink.  
“Well... You put up more of a fight than I would have thought possible out of such a soft boy. But don’t clap for yourself quite yet. That sword of yours is the only reason you still live.”

There was a small pause during which Link came closer to his partner, disappointed by himself for not managing to defeat his foe but still grateful that the fight was no more.  
“I fear I spent far too long teasing and toying with you. The girl’s presence has all but faded from this place, which means there’s no reason to linger here.”

For some reason, his eyes went to Wendy’s position while saying this. He then looked at Link again.  
“Good-bye, sky child. Run and play this time. Get in my way again, though, and you’re dead. And tell that girl that the same goes for her: I won’t do the same mistake twice.”  
With a movement of his sword, Ghirahim disappeared for good this time. At least, Link hoped so.

The knight rushed to Wendy’s side, trying to figure out what he could do to stop her bleeding. Fi came out of his sword immediately to aid him.  
“Master, I believe that the Skyview Spring has healing effects. The probability that it will heal her fully is of 5%, but there is 0% chance that her state will keep worsening while in the water.”

Link nodded at this advice and put Wendy’s arm around his neck to drag her to the golden door. Fi did her best to help him in this task, even without solid arms. Slowly but surely, they went up the stairs before finding themselves outside. After confirming that the water there was the spring they were looking for, Link delicately put her friend in the water, hoping for a miracle.

As soon as she touched the water, a strange marking lit on Wendy’s hand. This mark was a large triangle separated in four smaller ones, with the upside-down one shining brighter than the others. The light then spread to her entire body, putting her in a stasis of some kind according to Fi. Relieved, he paid a little more attention to the goddess’s statue on the back of the spring.

“Master, I have a message written in the language of the gods of old. Allow me to translate for you.”  
“Please do.”  
Fi started to chant the message right away.

“From the edge of time I guide you, the one chosen to carry out the goddess’s mission. The spirit maiden who descended from the clouds must travel to two sacred places to purify her body. You stand in one of these places: Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring. This second spring is hidden away deep within the scorched earth of Eldin. The spirit maiden, ever mindful of the heavy task entrusted to her, has set out for the second sacred place.”

After Fi finished transmitting her message, a tablet appeared from the statue, this one having a ruby on it.   
“Thank you Fi. Um... do you know how we can go to Skyloft again?”  
“The statue outside this temple has the power to send someone to the sky. If you go in front of it, I will be able to activate it and you will be above the hole in the cloud barrier.”  
“So I just need to go through the temple again...”

Holding Wendy again, the knight walked towards the exit of the building as fast as possible, avoiding any remaining monster on the way. As soon as he found the Loftwing statue, air rose from under his feet and made him fly upwards, Fi being right behind him. His grip on his friend got stronger: he couldn’t make a mistake now!

The three of them went past the cloud barrier, and Link called his Loftwing immediately. In a hurry, he flew towards the school, and rushed to the nurse office. Henya noticed the injured girl and helped as much as she could to heal the wound. Once the girl was out of danger, Link went to Gaepora’s office to explain the situation. After that, he went to his room to rest, and he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we finished exploring the Skyview temple, our next destination is the Earth Temple.


	9. Rest

When Wendy opened her eyes, she found herself in a room she already knew: the nurse office. How did she get here? Her head hurt... but not nearly as much as her left arm when she put her weight on it. Looking at it now, there were bandages around that arm and her chest. After failing miserably to sit on the bed, she stayed still, waiting for someone to come check on her.

It took some time before someone opened the door. If she remembered correctly, that man was Gaepora, Zelda's father.

"Ah, you're awake. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm... fine, I think? Well, I'm at least a lot better than I thought I would. Where's Link? Is he alright?"

Gaepora sat on the end of the bed, an understanding look on his face.

"Do not worry, he is alright. I'm sure he will be happy to see you're fine too."

Wendy let out a sigh of relief at those words. She was glad he wasn't hurt in the end.

"He told me about what happened. What you did was very brave, but putting your life at such a high risk is far from healthy."

It's not like she didn't know that already.

Wendy looked to the side. She knew her life probably wouldn't be in immediate danger, but she had no way of explaining that easily to him without looking crazy.

"Do you have any idea where he went?"

"Well, he first opened a new passageway to the surface, and he's kept himself busy ever since then." he said with a smile. "He didn't want to go there without you, apparently."

A question came to the girl's mind: "How long was I out?"

"A day or so. It's a miracle you're still alive, you know. None of us knows exactly how you survived, but we all agree on one thing: it would not be wise of you to go to the Surface right now. You should at least rest one more day."

So she was slowing Link down...

"Can I... can I at least get out of here? I won't tire myself down too much, but I don't want to stay here and do nothing..."

"Well, if you're careful and don't do anything that could worsen the state of your wounds, then I guess it should be fine. So don't move your left arm too much."

"Thanks!"

She smiled softly, before heading out of the school. Taking a breath of the pure air of Skyloft, she looked around. There were many people walking in the streets, birds gliding in the sky, and... a flying house? How does that work? She kept gazing at the sky, lost in thoughts.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wendy noticed Link getting out of a building next to the school. She went down a fly of stairs to go talk to him. As soon as he saw her, his face lit up and he started running in her direction.

"Wendy! You're alright!"

"Well, of course I am! No one can get rid of me that easily!"

Link's expression went sadder. "I... you were dying, I... I really thought you...!"

Oh. It was that bad, huh? He must have been in a panic, and of course she left him alone after causing him more trouble by protecting an unconscious girl from being captured. That's how useful she was.

Still, she put up a reassuring smile: "But I'm fine now. I'm supposed to rest for a day and then I'll be able to join you down there. Where are we supposed to go next?"

"I was planning on going to the Earth Temple. Does that ring a bell?"

"The earth temple, huh... Is that the one on the volcano?"

"That's what Fi told me at least."

"Well, it might be a good idea to get a metal shield. Wood in a fire area is a great idea if you want to burn."

"Oh. I didn't think about that."

Come to think of it, Wendy hadn't seen any mountain in Skyloft. Did Link even know what a volcano was?

"By the way, what did you do while I was out?"

"After opening a new way to the Surface, I looked for a kid that had disappeared. And now, I'm working to pay back for a chandelier I broke."

Did she hear that correctly?

"You. Did. What?!"

"Yeah, I broke it. I hit the wall and the thing fell immediately."

"And why did you hit the wall?"

"There was money on the chandelier, and I wanted to have it! Who leaves money there anyway?"

Was he a child? No one can do such a thing without any consequences!

"Look, I understand that you cut all the grass on the Surface to find rupees, but breaking someone's property for that purpose is called theft."

"I know that! You don't have to tell me!"

After letting out a sigh, Wendy told the knight: "Well, if you know that, then it's no problem to pay back for what you broke right?"

"You got me... As long as it doesn't slow us down too much, it shouldn't be a problem."

Did Link think she slowed him down? She really hoped she didn't, but it was hard to believe...

"You know, you don't have to wait for me. Zelda might be in danger, right? I could do the work instead of you while you try to find her."

"While I think it's true she can be in danger, going down there unprepared would be pretty stupid, don't you think?"

"But Fi could help you, can't she?"

Link looked confused by what she said. "Maybe, but you know more about the current Surface than her, don't you? After all, you lived there."

"Yeah, but that was only the forest... I never went to the volcano, and I'm sure there are other areas I haven't even heard about!"

She didn't know how Link would react, but he surely realized how little help she was by now. Great job, Wendy.

"Even so, I'd still feel better with someone by my side. It's always better not to be alone when exploring!"

"If you really think so, then we'll go tomorrow morning?"

"If you're ready by then, yes. We'll see each other in front of the school, alright?"

"Okay!"

Wendy came back to the nurse office, in a little better mood than she was earlier. She really hoped it would go better than what happened in Skyview Temple, and that Zelda was still fine. Well, with the distance between Faron Woods and Eldin, she shouldn't be there yet. That doesn't mean she won't be in the Earth Temple tomorrow, but that was at least a good point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wendy isn't feeling that well right now. She has a lot on her mind.


	10. Fly again

Link leant against the wall of the knights's academy, waiting for Wendy to arrive. Something felt... off about her yesterday. Maybe she was tired: their journey was exhausting, and she got hurt pretty badly, so of course she wouldn't be at peak form after this, but still... he really hoped she was okay.

Wendy came out of the building a little too fast to be natural. Link's game went down to her right hand almost immediately: the strange mark that lit on her hand while in the Skyview Spring was still there. He remembered asking about it to Gaepora, but even he didn't know what that meant. It was something he wanted to ask her, but he didn't dare to do it right now. This wasn't a great time.

"So, you're sure you're ready?"

"Yeah," she said while nodding. "I'm fine. Let's get going!"

She stepped forward a little, but came to a stop when Link whistled.

"What are you doing? Aren't we supposed to jump?"

"Well, I thought that jumping on my Loftwing's back might not be the best idea when your wounds have barely healed. Also, won't that be less frightening?"

Once the bird was on the ground, Link and Wendy both took off. Watching the ground getting further away, Link focused on the feeling of the wind. He knew he would be stuck on the ground for some time, so he didn't want his time flying to go to waste. He headed towards the second opening in the cloud barrier, the one he noticed the day before.

Wendy was strangely silent this time around. The knight didn't like that, so he tried to start a conversation:

"Oh yeah, how did you figure it out anyway? That we were fighting each other?"

"Huh?"

She sounded surprised by the sudden question. It took her some time to think of an answer.

"You know how I steal my enemy's weapons, right? Because of this, analyzing other people's posture is almost second nature to me. And when we were... fighting, I noticed that the enemy had a familiar fighting style."

Link laughed a little: "You really were observing me during our journey?"

"I told you! It's an habit now! Jeez..."

"And you had never met Ghirahim before?"

"No. That's why I knew something was wrong. I just got the confirmation I needed when you used a Skyward Strike. And so, I decided to take action."

The boy couldn't even begin to think what that must have been like. She must have been in a panic, knowing that the one she helped this entire time didn't recognize her and was trying to kill her...

"I knew I had to be quick, because Ghirahim wasn't here. I couldn't let him get close to Zelda, that wasn't a possibility. So I asked myself... what might make him come back?"

"And your answer was... you getting hurt? I'm sorry, but I can't help but see a leap in logic here."

"I had my reasons to believe he wouldn't want me to die. You see, I was told I also had a role to play in the legend."

Was that supposed to be a surprise?

"Well, if I'm a part of it and you're helping me, then of course you have a role to play!"

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant a part of the legend, like someone the bad guys might want on their side because they're important."

Oh. Well, that might explain things.

"Does it have anything to do with that mark on your hand?"

"Huh? Oh, you noticed that?"

"Well, when you were put in a stasis, it was shining, so it was kind of hard to miss."

"I see... so it really has a link with time, then?"

Wendy now sounded lost in thought. "I don't know a lot about it, though. I learned about my possible role when we both went to the Sealed Grounds, so it was still on my mind by then. That's why I knew, if Ghirahim had the same info than me, he wouldn't want me to die."

"And you don't know what this role you have is?"

"No, I have no idea."

They were almost at their destination, but Link felt that the conversation shouldn't end like this. That's why he said:

"You know, that was really impressive."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The speed of your reasoning. You managed to figure that out while in the middle of a battle: I don't know a lot of people who could do such a thing. So yes, that was really impressive."

After flying for a few seconds, the duo was right above the passageway to the Surface. From where he was, the only thing Link could see down there was red. He could also feel the heat of the air below him. And just like the first opening...

"My Loftwing won't be able to go down there. Are you ready to jump this time?"

Wendy nodded quickly, a new resolve visible in her eyes. She readied herself for the fall, which didn't take her by surprise for once. This all went smoothly, and the duo landed without any complications. Just as their feet touched the ground, Fi came out of Link's sword.

"Master, this is Eldin Volcano. It is an active volcano rich with the power of the earth. Approximately 65%of the region is covered by lava. It is inhabited by a large number of creatures that thrive in the extreme heat and direct flame. You might not carry a wooden shield anymore, but please still exercise caution with the fabric of your clothes, which are made of flammable materials."

The two teenagers thanked her for the heads-up, and she went back into the sword once more. The area around the volcano was extremely hot, so Link and Wendy were both sweating bullets.

"Well, I sure hope there are some places where the temperature cools down a little. I don't think I'll be able to sleep with such a heat." He said with a sigh.

Wendy laughed a little before answering: "We're only at the base of the volcano, and the only way from there is up. It'd be a miracle if it doesn't get worse from here."

Cursing under his breath, the knight strode forward with the girl right besides him.

"Anyway, let's get going. Destination: the Earth Temple, wherever it is!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally arrived at the Eldin region, and Link gets to see for himself what a volcano is.


	11. The Mogmas

The duo was walking towards the volcano when something popped out of the ground. Two creatures, actually.  
”Hey! Hey! HEY! Y-you mess with our turf and you’re gonna... pay?”  
”Whoa! You’re not... Yo, Ledd, I don’t think this is one of those red creeps.”  
Red creeps? Where there Bokoblins here too?

”Y-y-yeah, I think you’re right... No reason to scare the hair off us, though!” the one named Ledd said. “Sorry ‘bout that, pal. These monsters showing up and messing up with our turf has got me on edge.”  
”Don’t worry, I can understand why you would be wary of strangers.” Wendy responded. “These guys can be such a pain.”

Ledd crosses his arms, trying to play tough. “If they show up here, I‘m gonna knock the red clean out of ‘em! That’s what I’m doing here.”  
”Yeah, whatever, Mr. Too Scared to Dig in the Dark.” the other creature commented.

”Anyway, if you’re looking for treasure, you should stay clear of those guys.”  
”Well, we’re not looking for a treasure, but for someone.” Link explained.  
”Huh? You’re really NOT looking for a treasure?”  
”Really.”

Ledd thought a little before speaking,  
”So that must have been your pal that passed by earlier, sprinting by without so much as a glance in this direction.”  
”You saw someone?! What did she look like?”  
”It was sorta a blur of movement, so I didn’t get a real good look, but I knew it wasn’t one of those red creeps. Your pal must have gone straight up here, so why don’t you follow?”

Thanking Ledd despite the lack of information, the duo went further down the way.  
”So, who were these guys?”  
”I’ve never met one, but I’ve read something about them. If I remember correctly, they are called Mogmas. They‘re mole like creatures, so they spend a lot of time underground and aren’t bothered by the heat that much.”  
”I see...”

On their way, they fought several fired up Keese. They also went through a cave where lava kept rising and decreasing, hiding the path in the process. Waiting for the right time, Link and Wendy ran on the burning floor: it was a miracle their shoes hadn’t melt by now. The duo then arrived in a room with strange flowers: Wendy told him they were bomb flowers after noticing his curious look. And since they’re bombs, they can explode! Link used this new knowledge to open a new way out of the cave.

Right outside, there was another Mogma.  
”Huh? Another stranger? And you’re not one of those red creeps, either. I swear this neighborhood‘s getting crummier every day...”  
”What do you mean?”  
”Huh? Oh, nothing, just talking to myself. Hey, I saw this funny dressed character go into that hole over there.”

The two comrades looked at each other.  
”Do you think it was Zelda?”  
They then turned toward the Mogmas: “Do you remember what she was wearing?”  
”Let’s see... Yeah, I’m pretty sure the getup was blackish. Other than that, I don’t remember much.”

Link looked at the ground. “That doesn’t sound like her...”  
”Don’t worry, we’ll find her. I know it.”  
He really hoped so. But Selda was strong, she had to be alright! Right?  
”We have to keep looking.”

Fighting some fire spitting creatures on the way, the duo found another cave. And of course, it could only be entered by falling down.  
”Who decided that the only way to go anywhere around here was falling!?”  
Link snorted. That kind of thing didn’t bother him, but Wendy wasn’t used to call a Loftwing, so free falling was definitely not her cup of tea.

After getting inside despite the girl’s protests, the duo found another Mogma glaring at a group of Bokoblins down the way.  
”Grrr... Those creeps just shimmied on in and took over our territory.”  
”Um... Excuse me?” Wendy asked.  
”Yeow! What’re you doing? Don’t be sneakin’ up on me like that!”  
”Oh, sorry! I’m looking for a friend. Did you see anyone?”  
”Can’t help you there. Nobody’s come through here, so... Maybe they went up the mountain from over that way.”

The Mogma was pointing towards an exit a few meters away from the floor. How could they reach it...  
”Ahh... Wish someone would chase these clowns outta here.”  
”Hey, if we defeat them, will you help us go through there?”  
”Huh?”

Not waiting for an answer to his question, Link rushed past him and started fighting every Bokoblin he saw. He could hear some kind of alarm several times: someone was warning the others, and caused reinforcements to come in waves! Looking up, the knight saw his now primary target on a platform. He got there quickly, ending the fight soon after taking care of this monster.  
”Whoa.., You took out every last one of ‘em...”

Link went back to them as if nothing had happened.  
”You’re one tough customer! Thanks for all your help!”  
”So, can you show me a way forward?”  
”I don‘t blame you not knowing this, but us Mogmas always honor our debts. Take these things! They’re something pretty special, if I say so myself. I’m sure they’ll be helpful to find your friend.”

The Mogma gave the duo two pair of gloves with claws at the end. Wendy was looking at them with wide eyes:  
”Are those Digging Mitts!? That’s so nice of you! Thank you very much!”  
”With these, you should be able to get to the top of that ledge right behind me. Just try diggin in that hole below the ledge. You’re in for a surprise!”

And a surprise they did get. Once they dug, a flow of air came out of the ground, allowing them to get up on the exit. Once outside, they met another Mogma who told them about that black-dressed woman. According to him, she jumped across a huge gap which replaced a bridge without any problem. It really sounded like they weren’t following the right person at all.

But still, this was a problem. How would they get across? But when stepping closer to the gap, the bridge came closer, creating a safe path to the other side. That’s when a voice called out, coming from the top of the bridge.  
”You, the goddess’s chosen hero...”

A white-haired woman, dressed in black as all the Mogmas had said, was standing there, looking down on him.  
”Zelda is ahead... Hurry.”  
And just like that, she was gone.

Link turned to Wendy, wondering who that woman was. But when he saw her eyes, he couldn’t help but think his partner had a better idea about that than him:her eyes were filled with so much admiration that they could be shining in the dark! She then looked at her partner before letting out a “Let’s go!”

Not knowing what else to do, the knight just followed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now who could that woman be...


	12. The Key

"So... what now?"

Link and Wendy were standing in front of a red door with a dragon pattern on it. With such a design, there was no doubt this was an important place. Fi had even told them it was the entrance to the Earth temple, but there was a tiny problem...

The two partners were pushing the door with all their strength, but it wouldn't even budge.

"That golden mechanism is blocking the door. We should look for a key or something. Any idea where it could be?"

Wendy didn't answer immediately, instead examining the lock.

"Well, it seems pretty big and easily recognizable. The shape is unusual, too..."

"Hmm... I'm sure they buried it around here someplace, but I can't find it."

"Yo, Ledd! This is the place, ain't it? So what is it they buried again?"

Looking behind them after hearing their voices, the duo faced the two Mogmas they had seen first. They were digging the ground, apparently looking for something. Wendy made a sign to warn Link to stay silent: they could give important information in their discussion.

"A key! K-E-Y, key! They busted up the key to that door and hid the pieces all over the place. I'm telling you, one of the five pieces is buried around here."

"Hey, that reminds me... That strange blonde girl in the weird clothes got taken away too."

Link's face played right away.

"That's right! I bet they got something really valuable stashed in there. And that blonde girl they took is probably part of their master plan too. I'm telling you, I can smell the riches from here!"

"So what're you saying we do once we find all the pieces to the key?"

"Whaddya think, igneous? We sneak inside and take all the treasure we can carry!"

After realizing that they could just dig their way in, the two Mogmas disappeared. Unfortunately, making their way underground wasn't a possibility for the two Hyliens. They had to find the key. And so, Wendy began using her gloves to dig everywhere, Link joining her once the shock of Zelda's capture had worn off.

With their luck, they found the first part of the key on the last spot possible. As soon as they got it though, they asked Fi to register that material as a dowsing target. The sword then led them to a wooden tower, standing tall above a key piece. Using a bomb to make it fall, they found that second key part quite quickly.

Link then found a fractured wall down a slope. After some careful maneuvering, they blew up said wall and found the third part of the key.

"They really didn't want it to be found" Wendy noticed. "Whatever they're planning to do, it must be really important to them."

"Do you think Ghirahim is a part of this?"

"Huh?"

Wendy looked at the knight with a confused look on her face.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he was looking for Zelda back at the Skyview Temple, right? And he was also the one who created the storm that made her fall down here. So I thought he might have ordered her capture..."

"If he didn't, then I'm a Kikwi. He's a demon lord, of course he's gonna go after Zelda."

That's when Link decided to say something that had been on his mind ever since the beginning.

"But why exactly?! That's what I don't get! Why did he try to capture her when she didn't even know what her 'destiny' was!"

"And why do you ask me this? I'm not in that creep's head! How do you want me to know what he thinks and the reasons for his actions!"

The small group fell silent after that. Once going through a Bokoblin camp and crossing a pit, they found themselves in front of a retracted bridge. Wendy asked Link to wait while she looked for a way across.

The one she chose was dangerous to say the least: she first hang above the void, holding herself with a five centimeters wide cliff. Once she fell on the ground, she climbed as high as possible. She then jumped to the vines on the opposite wall, and climbed again, slowly finding her way to the other side. Link stared wide-eyed at the physical achievement. Where did she learn to do such a thing?!

The girl disappeared for a second before the bridge came to the waiting knight. After he crossed, she was acting as if nothing had happened, like doing such moves was entirely normal. Link didn't even want to question it. And so, they kept walking, despite the heat becoming even more unbearable. That's when Link's clothes took fire.

Panicked, they ran to the nearest exit, which was a slide. Once they got out of the flaming cave, the fire fortunately disappeared. They took a stop at the first platform they found to check if the knight was alright. He had several bad burns, but didn't want to drink a potion of any kind, saying "We might need it later, for injuries worse than this."

It seems that it was still their lucky day, because the fourth part of the key was on the same platform they were on. Because it was impossible for them to go back from where they came, they slid to the bottom of the mountain, hoping there would be an easy way up.

Since it really was their lucky day, the last key fragment was right next to where they landed. All they had to do was throw two bombs at two different places: one to lower the lava, another one to break the wall and have access to the last piece they needed. Right after that, they found a huge flow of air, allowing them to get back to the Earth Temple without any trouble.

Once they opened the door, Link and Wendy both shielded their face as waves of heat came from the other side. The staircase was red hot, and a fog was preventing them from seeing further away. The teens hurried inside nevertheless: Zelda's fate rested on their shoulders as far as they knew. They couldn't afford to lose time now.


	13. The Earth Temple

Of course the temple would be filled with lava. They were in some sort of corridor, the path forward being highlighted by blue stones. And, at the end of that path, all they could see were rocks somehow floating on lava. Link didn’t even want to question it: the Surface was just weird. He didn’t take too much time thinking of what to do when said rocks were shaking under their weight: run to a safe spot!

In a small alcove, they found one of the Mogmas that were in front of the temple before. What was his name again?

“My partner’s gone missing, and those red guys are everywhere! I never shoulda come here.” The creature said with a sigh. He turned around after noticing the duo: “Oh, it’s you two again. Come all this way in search of your friend, eh?”

Link nodded silently. He hoped she was still okay, that she wasn’t hurt...

“That reminds me... Before I came in here, I saw a weird-looking blonde girl get dragged away. But don’t even dream about going to the rescue. Those baddies are everywhere!”

Well wasn’t that funny. He was basically just telling him, hey, your friend might die any moment now, and you can’t do anything about it!

“If you wanna live to... live again one day, you should head for home, pal!”

And just like that, he went into the ground.

“Thank for the advice!” Wendy said with a cold voice. Link could only guess what she was thinking of the Mogma right now, and considering the glare she had, he was glad to not know the full extend of her anger.

After cutting some cords to make a bridge fall down, they found themselves in a huge room, still filled with lava, but with no safe path forward. The only thing they could see was some kind of ball. And of course, Link decided to brave the danger by using that ball to go through the gap. Having no other choice, Wendy stood right next to him.

It was hard to coordinate their movements, and they almost fell so many times that they stopped counting, but they made it slowly and safely to the other side. They then found the second Mogma, Ledd, who was looking for something apparently. Once he saw them, he immediately asked the duo to find his bomb bag. Of course, Link accepted, but he intended to ‘loan’ the bag afterwards.

For some reason, the room looked like an arena and the door locked behind them. Link brushed it off as weird temple design again and focused on the two monsters at the other side of it. They looked like bipedal lizards, had a spiked tail and they could use the rocks on one of their arms to protect themselves. Upon seeing them, Wendy let out a gasp: “Lizalfos!”

Just by taking a glance at his partner’s face, he could tell this fight would not be a piece of cake. They split up, taking care of one each. The first thing he noticed while fighting his enemy was its intelligence: there was no way he could win just by swinging his sword without thinking, unlike with the Bokoblins. Unlike them, the lizard was using its protection effectively, hiding behind it most of the time and only dropping it to smack the knight with its tail. He couldn’t check how Wendy was doing, but from the sounds he could hear, she wasn’t doing much better than him.

It took a long time, too long in Link’s opinion, but he finally found a pattern in the Lizalfos’s attacks. Once he did, dodging became a little easier, and he saw more opportunities to counter attack. Looking for an opening, the knight lost focus and slipped right when a blow was coming. As soon as his back hit the floor, he tried to shield himself, but he was too slow. There was no way for him to make it unharmed.

That’s when a blade came out of the monster’s stomach.

The monster exploded, leaving only a panicked Wendy, dagger drew forward, covered in blood. Fortunately, the girl herself was mostly unharmed, the key word being mostly. Link could bet they both had more bruises than they could count, and the fight had clearly exhausted them.

“Are you alright?”

Link nodded, and the girl let out a sigh of relief. She then looked at her clothes with a disgusted look on her face.

“I’m definitely taking a shower when we get out of here. Why does monster blood have to be so gross?”

Link couldn’t help but laugh: of course this would be her first concern once danger had passed! But they couldn’t loose any more time.

“We need to find that guy’s bombs bag. It might be useful.”

Wendy looked at him with an almost blank stare: “Are you going to steal it from him?”

“What?! No! I’m gonna ask him if I can borrow it, that’s all!”

She looked skeptical. He knew he shouldn’t have told her about the chandelier thing. Still, they found what they were looking for quickly with some digging involved.

Convincing the Mogma to lend them the bag was surprisingly easy, they barely had to ask. Using the flower bombs to create a way at some points, they used the ball to navigate through the temple and find the switches needed to go further. The duo then climbed a giant slope, avoiding the rocks falling down on the way. They soon found themselves in front of a door with a puzzle lock, strangely similar to to one at the end of the Skyview Temple.

They noticed a treasure chest far away at the other end of the room: maybe the key was there? They went to investigate, and their assumption was correct: the chest contained a dragon sculpture made of gold. Now, if that wasn’t the key to that strange lock, he had no idea what it could be used for.

Link noticed a strange glow out of the corner of his eye: Wendy’s mark was shining again, and her face was getting paler by the second. When she opened her mouth, a single word came out: “Run.”

“Huh?”

“Run!”

Taking his hand, she rushed back down as fast as possible, not taking the time to answer Link’s non-stopping flow of questions. The ground started to tremble, and a loud noise could be heard right behind them.

“What was that?!”

He made the mistake to look, only to see a boulder twice their side rolling down. Link gulped and started to really run for his life. As soon as a platform on the side was visible, they jumped on it. Link could feel the flow of air created by the rolling boulder, which fell into a dragon sculpture’s head.

They took a small break, sitting on the ground and catching their breaths. It was at times like these that Link wished he had spent more time building his stamina. They finally opened the door, preparing themselves for what might be on the other side of it: they still had the bad memory of what happened the last time they opened one of these.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still learning how to write fight scenes...


	14. Scaldera

The first thing they saw was a staircase. It led to a platform above the lava, far away from the walls. There was a bone structure attached to the ceiling, and the ground shook as the boulder from the previous room rolled on it. Looking down, they could see several flower bombs on the floor, as well as a... chain?

“Master, I detect Zelda’s aura in the surrounding area. I detect an especially strong reaction from this chain. I calculate the probability Zelda was bound by it recently at 95%.”  
“Where is she now?” Link asked, still worried about her safety.  
“I surmise Zelda was somehow able to escape and proceed along this path. I suggest we continue with all possible speed.”  
“I see...”

There was indeed a door on the other side, at the end of a long slope. They ran there as fast as possible without tiring themselves too much: something could go wrong at any moment, and they had to be ready to fight. Just in case.

They apparently were right to do so, as someone was standing on top of a dragon sculpture. From such a distance, the person was mostly a blur of red and white, but it wasn’t difficult to guess who it was: Ghirahim.

“Oh, it’s you. Let me see... No, that’s not it. This is so very embarrassing, but I seem to be at a loss for your name.”  
Wendy didn’t believe it for a second. The last time they faced the demon king, he had casted such a powerful spell on them. There was no way he didn’t have to know their names to cast it!

“Not that it matters, really. To tell you the truth, I’m feeling a bit frustrated, and right now I just need someone to vent to.”  
Could they reach the other door before anything goes wrong? They weren’t too far, where they?

“I heard my underlings had finally captured the spirit maiden, so of course I rushed over here. What can I say? I was exited. Flustered, even... But what did I find when I arrived? That agent of the goddess...”  
Impa?

Ghirahim started mumbling, so the girl couldn’t hear him anymore. She wished it would stay that way, but unfortunately...  
“That goddess-serving dog escaped with the girl!”  
She flinched a little at his choice of words. Of course he had to scream that. She got it, he was angry, could they go now? Obviously not, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

“I MUST have the spirit maiden in order to resurrect my master! I MUST HAVE HER!”  
Jeez, calm down!  
“I got a little carried away there, didn’t I? I don’t deal well with... complications to plans I’ve laid out so carefully. It’s a character flaw of mine.”  
‘Because you clearly have only one.’ Hylia, she really hated this guy... but he was their enemy. She had no choice but to deal with him.

“Ah, but something good can still come from this day! I’ve had all this bottled-up anger smoldering inside me, and now I can release it. There’s someone special I’d like you to meet.”  
Link’s face paled. They weren’t just walking out of here, apparently.

Also, Ghirahim seemed to have super vision as he laughed after seeing their reaction to his words.  
“Oh, don’t be shy! I need to vent all this unhealthy anger, and your agony is such a great stress reliever. It won’t take more than a few moments with my friend before you’re charred to a satisfying crisp. And let me tell you, that will put a spring in my step!”

With a snap of his fingers, the demon lord teleported again. For some reason, the dragon statue opened its mouth, letting a boulder fall once more. Was it the same one as before? Wendy had no idea. The duo ran down, dogging it by an inch with a roll. They observed it carefully, looking for any danger related to the now cracked rock.

There was more lava. The creature’s body was made of lava. She didn’t know what she had expected, but it definitely wasn’t this. Her astonishment grew even more when the lava moved to create legs, six to be more precise. The creature clumsily rose on its feet before charging at the pair.

“Scaldera.”  
Thanks, Fi. Knowing its name will be really helpful in surviving this fight.  
This time around, Link was the one helping her flee. They quickly ran to the only door accessible, the exit. Unfortunately for them, it was locked: they had to defeat the monster. Link was breathing heavily besides her, but why? They hadn’t run for that long... oh.

She had heard of that once, hadn’t she? Something about people not managing to inhale enough air during physical effort. If they hadn’t been chased by a fire monster, she would have asked him how he became a knight despite that without hesitation.

Scaldera stepped on a bomb, hurting itself in the process, and started to roll down the path. It then inhaled before spitting fire. The duo took cover while thinking of a plan. Their enemy was some sort of rock, so bombs might be useful. That meant running back and forth between the monster and their shelter to hit it and take cover.

She looked at Link, who was still trying to catch his breath. If he did have problems with his breathing, he wouldn’t be able to do that...  
“Can I have your bomb bag, please?”  
The knight quickly nodded and gave her what she asked for. She then quickly took her plan into action.

After the bomb exploded, more cracks appeared on the boulder’s surface. And of course, there was a creepy eye on the lava composing its body. Gross. She tried to stab it with her dagger, but it moved under the rocks left. Wendy repeated the process until Scaldera’s body was made of more lava than rock.

Of course, the creature was now lighter. Noticing that, it rose it’s body high in the air before going right above the girl. Said girl only had time to notice the shadow on her before feeling an intense heat on her back. She was being crushed, her skin was burning and the pain almost made her pass out, but she couldn’t. She had a duty, after all.

In a panic, the stabbed the creature randomly, hoping to hit its eye. It didn’t work. She started to hear some kind of beeping sound, but she still held on and kept fighting as much as possible. Then, all of a sudden, the weight disappeared. She saw Link standing in front of her, a hand extended to help her stand up. She gladly took it, and together, they headed to the spring that was on the other side of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second boss has been taken down. What will happen next?


	15. A reunion?

Link and Wendy stepped in the Earth spring, observing the architecture before noticing two figures standing in front of a column of light. One of them was the black-dressed woman they had seen earlier, while the other, wearing a white dress, was...

"Zelda!" Link cried out, rushing forward to meet his friend.

At the sound of his voice, Zelda turned around to face him. Her face lit up upon seeing him, and she also tried to join him before the woman stopped her.

"You cannot go to him, Your Grace. Remember what we discussed. Restrain yourself. Focus on the task at hand."

The deception could easily be observed on the girl's face, but she still nodded with determination. Facing the light again, she muttered the words: "I... I have to go. I'm sorry, Link." After stepping in the light, she disappeared into thin air. This caused Link to speed up even more, but the stern look of the other woman told him to stop.

"It took you far too long to get here. Looking at you two, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents. If this failure is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her."

Wendy seemed to shrink a little at these words. When they had heard of that woman, Link could tell the girl looked up to her. Didn't she understand that what she was saying was harmful to his partner? She already blamed herself enough...

He didn't like that attitude at all.

"Do my words anger you, boy? Do my words sting? Let them. If I had not come when I did, your Zelda would already have fallen into the hands of the enemy. The truth of it is you were late. You were late, and you failed to protect her."

He didn't like her attitude, but there was still truth in her words. They could have been faster, that was true. At the same time, they couldn't jump over giant gaps, they couldn't teleport through the blocked passages, so they lost time finding another path.

"I sent Zelda ahead to learn more of the fate in which she is destined to play a part. Listen well, chosen one. If you wish to be of help to Her Grace, you must summon a shred of courage and face the trials laid out before you. Only when you've conquered the trials will you be of use to Zelda. No sooner. Am I understood?"

Just like that, the woman turned around, walked into the light and disappeared too. Link then turned to his partner, who still looked shaken by these words.

"Are you alright?"

The girl nodded, but it didn't seem genuine. It was to be expected: she was hurt pretty badly back in her fight against Scalendra, and she probably thought it was her fault they took so much time to arrive.

Bitting his lip, Link walked towards the Goddess' statue.

"Don't worry, we'll be back to Skyloft soon. You can rest there."

As soon as he got close, a tablet with an amber on it materialized in front of him. Fi also came out of his sword and stood or floated right next to him.

"Do you have another message to tell us?"

"That is correct, master. I have a message written in the language of the gods of old. Allow me to translate for you."

Wendy looked up, seemingly interested. She had been unconscious last time, so it was the first time she saw Fi do such a thing.

"From the edge of time I guide you, the one destined to carry out the goddess's mission. The spirit maiden who descended from the clouds has passed through the Earth Spring and makes her way to a fated place. The parched desert of Lanayru... That is where the chosen will pass through the Gate of Time into a distant world."

Link closed his eyes for a while, and he could almost see Zelda in her goddess costume, smiling at him, like before all this happened. He smiled at the image, knowing he was closer to finding her than he ever was. He didn't know what this Gate of Time was, but if Zelda was headed to where it was, Link would search for it too. He would find his childhood friend again!

"Master Link. It appears Zelda has cleansed herself in the waters of this fountain. Based on the information from the message I just imparted, I project she is traveling to a region known as Lanayru. If you transport this tablet back to the statue in Skyloft, a new column of light will appear that will allow you to travel to the Lanayru region."

The duo thanked Fi for the information, and had Link not known better, he could have sworn he saw the spirit's expression change a little.

"Are you ready to head back?" He asked Wendy.

"I think so. We have nothing left to do in there, do we?"

"Except giving that bag back to its owner, we don't. But we can keep it until we aren't in danger anymore, right?"

She gave him a suspicious look. "Right... Besides, I'll never let you hear the end of it until you give it back, you thief."

"Hey! I'm not a thief!"

They walked to the exit, with Link asking Wendy if she was really fine several times.

"I told you, I'm fine! Also, what about you? You really seemed out of breath earlier, I don't think that normal!"

"Oh, that? It happens sometimes, and the heat doesn't help."

"You should probably get that checked, I don't want you to suffocate in the middle of a fight. Also, you might want to switch back to your wooden shield."

"Huh? Why?" Link asked, confused.

His current shield had less chances of breaking, so what was wrong with it?

"A Goron once told me there were electrical monsters around in the desert. Metal conducts electricity. Do you see where I'm getting at?"

That... wouldn't be good.

"I don't want to deal with your corpse, so please, change your shield."

Was that her way of worrying right now? Well, she got her point across at least. The Loftwing statue outside of the temple sent them to the sky, and they flew to Skyloft in the setting sun.


	16. A decision

Ever since Zelda disappeared, Groose hadn’t been the same. He had barely left his room in the last few days and spent most of his time staring out the window, hoping to see her arrive. He knew he had to do something, anything, but he couldn’t find the strength to go out. And so he stayed put, thinking of what he could have done to prevent this disaster from happening.

If he had been at the Wing Ceremony instead of Link, would Zelda have been safe? He could have told her it was too late to fly, or he could have caught her before she got dragged in that black tornado he saw that day... Groose shook his head. Thinking of what might have changed had he taken other decisions wouldn’t help saving her.

If there was an advantage about staring into space, it was observing people. He had noticed several of the knights changing their routine, taking more shifts than usual, but there was no search party for Zelda. Most of the town people were oblivious to it, Gaepora probably did his best to prevent the information about a girl’s disappearance from being leaked.

The most interesting change he found concerned Link, though.

Zelda was his best friend, and yet the new knight didn’t seem to look for her that much. Or he spent all his time searching, Groose didn’t know for sure. What he did know, however, was that someone was helping him doing whatever he was doing. Whenever he took of in the morning, there was always this girl in a black dress accompanying him.

Even if it was the middle of the night, footsteps could be heard in the hallway. A little curious, and because he needed some fresh air, Groose decided to check who it was and where they were going. To his surprise, it was the new girl going upstairs and heading to the door. How did she know that door was always opened? He definitely wanted to know what was going on.

Once he was outside too, he saw her staring into space, her arms resting on the guarding rail. She seemed lost in thoughts, her long brown hair falling on her shoulders as she observed the stars. The knight in training noticed the dagger attached to her side quickly, but she didn’t seem like an immediate threat to the island, so he let that slide.

Groose walked to the girl’s side. “I see I’m not the only one who likes coming here after all.”  
“That spot is really nice, I understand why someone would stay here during the night.”  
She sounded sad for some reason.  
“By the way, I have never seen you before. Who are you?”  
“My name’s Wendy. And you?”  
“I’m Groose.”  
“Nice to meet you.”

Yet she didn’t even glance at him. Who did she think she was?!  
“By the way... I’ve never seen you before. Where do you come from?”  
Wendy seemed surprised, maybe even panicking a little. She didn’t want people to know...?  
“It’s really far away, I don’t think you’ve heard of it before...”  
“Where exactly is it?”  
“It’s called the Faron Woods.”

The name was unfamiliar. Either she was lying to his face, either he hadn’t listened to his geography lessons in elementary school. He couldn’t tell which one seemed more plausible.  
“Are you a knight? You came out of the academy after all.”  
“Yeah, I am.”  
This conversation was getting weirder by the second.

“I noticed you were going somewhere with Link several times. What are you two doing?”  
Wendy raised an eyebrow. “Is this conversation an interrogation? ‘Cause it sure sounds like one.”  
“No, no, I’m just curious.”  
“We went to my home. He thought his friend would be there.”

The tornado dragged Zelda to where she lived? If that wasn’t suspicious enough, his name wasn’t Groose.  
“It seems really far away... How do you guys come back here everyday?”  
“We know a shortcut. It’s a little dangerous to use and really scary, but I’m not sure if there’s another way to get there so we have to deal with it.”

She laughed a little, probably remembering something. Groose could only give her a questioning look, but she didn’t pursue this topic. Instead, they talked about the citizens of Skyloft and the local traditions. The girl seemed particularly interested in the Loftwings and how everyone met their own. Her eyes lit up when he talked about his first encounter with his Loftwing, and she started to ask more technical questions on how to make them fly.

Wendy was definitely weird. There was so much she didn’t know when it was supposed to be basic knowledge, and yet she taught him some things too. How to make fire, how to notice someone or something was following you, even the names and medical properties of several plants the boy had never heard of before.

Her life had to have been hard for this knowledge to be a priority.

Her equipment suddenly took another meaning. For example, the dagger that first seemed like a threat was now more of a self-defense tool, useful in a world where you could be attacked at any given moment.

Wendy soon excused herself out of the conversation, saying she needed some sleep before helping Link again. Groose didn’t sleep at all that night, searching for any information about the “Faron Woods” she had mentioned earlier. When Link and Wendy went out in the sky again, he still hadn’t found anything.

Tired after putting an all-nighter, the boy crashed on his bed. He didn’t have the strength to follow the duo right now, but he’d get to the bottom of this. Zelda was still in danger wherever she was, and he couldn’t let Link be the only hero in the story. He, too, could be useful in the search.

It wouldn’t matter if they want it or not. Groose had made his decision, and no one in the world, except maybe Zelda herself, would be able to change it. He knew when to make his next move.

The next time Link and Wendy would take off on their own, Groose would follow them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I played this game, I kept talking to Groose between dungeons. That’s when I learned he noticed Link’s strange behavior, and I wanted to implement it somehow.


	17. Lanayru Desert

“A report, Master Link. We have arrived at Lanayru Mine.”  
Link and Wendy had barely landed on a metallic tour when Fi introduced them to the new area.  
“This arid region was transformed into a desert over the course of several hundred years. My projections show that Zelda must have traveled through this area.”  
As usual, the spirit came back into Link’s blade, leaving the duo on their own.

They went through some caves, moving defective mining carts and defeating yellow Chuchus on the way. They soon found themselves in a clearing with a purple stone at the center. Intrigued, they both came closer to it. While Wendy examined the thing, Link decided to hit it with his sword.

“What in the world are you doing?” Wendy asked, sounding more exasperated than angry.  
“It’s obviously magical, I wanted to see how it worked!”  
The girl only shook her head and watched as the sand around them turned into grass and plants, and the scraps of metal they had seen lying around formed robots. In just seconds, this desolated place was full of life.

“Is this... the past?” Wendy asked.  
“How could you tell such a thing?”  
“I don’t know, it just... feels like it.” She looked at the back of her right hand, before glancing at the stone once more. “Seems that this stone was magical, just as you guessed. Fi?”

The sword spirit appeared once more.  
“I am able to confirm that a time shift has occurred within this space. By impact to the blue stones creates a sustained temporal disruption field in the surrounding area. Readings show that this area is in a past time state.”  
At least it helped Link understand what was going on.

The duo hopped into a mine cart, and ended up in a cave. They ran as fast as possible to avoid the quicksands, and some blue stones turned the sand into grass, allowing them to proceed. They soon found themselves in a more open area, called the Lanayru Desert according to Fi. She also warned them about the numerous areas of quicksand present there, so they had to be careful about where they walked.

Link also noticed something far in the distance. There was a structure above the hills, and it represented... the mark on Wendy’s hand for some reason? Maybe it was just a coincidence, it was simply a triangle split into four parts, but nothing had been that simple or convenient so far. It had to have some meaning, but what...?

Link was so lost in thoughts, he didn’t notice Wendy almost leaving him behind. He was running after the girl to catch up with her, when she stopped dead in her tracks. In front of her were several cages, one of which contained pieces of one of the robots. She was observing her surroundings, looking for anything that could help her reach the time stone inside another cage. Link threw a bomb and activated it, causing the robot to come back to life... as well as two bokoblins. Wielding electric weapons of course.

Why couldn’t things be simple for once?

They finished them off quickly while still being careful not to take a hit. They didn’t want to be electrocuted to death after all! Wendy checked if the robot had been damaged in any way as soon as he stopped shaking.

“Thank you, zrrt! If you hadn’t come along, they would have sucked all of the electricity out of me, vrrm!”  
The robot then noticed the items attached to Wendy’s belt.  
“Oh... Look at that, zrrpt... You have a Beetle. It appears to be an older model of Lanayru fabrication.”  
“Excuse me?!”

The look on Wendy’s face was hilarious to say the least. Was she really being sensitive about an old relic they found only two days ago?  
“As thanks for saving me, I will upgrade that for you, zwooop. Give it here for a second, phwing!”  
She reluctantly gave the Beetle to him, and the duo just watched the little guy modifying the relic in front of their eyes.

“I’ve added a pincer modification so you can grab things, brrrrrrrt. Be careful out there, zrrt!”  
“Thank you! I’m sure that’ll be useful!”  
And now, she was so happy she was almost shining. Link really couldn’t understand how her emotions could change so quickly.

The girl tested it out immediately by picking up a bomb flower that grew on a nearby tree. Link could only question its existence, as the tree in question was dead and the sand wasn’t a great environment for plant to grow. As he had noticed before, the Surface was really weird.

As Wendy had guessed earlier, these modifications were quite useful in their travel. They now could create platforms on the quicksand by blowing up the walls, which was something impossible to achieve before. This allowed them to proceed more easily than expected, and they reached the door to the Temple of Time soon enough.

“Wait... It’s blowed up!?”  
The reaction was reasonable, considering the debris blocked the path to the temple. Wendy and Link rushed there to try to find a way through, but there didn’t seem to be one. That’s when the Goron from Faron woods noticed them and decided to start a conversation.

“Good to see you! Seems like you two population up everywhere!”  
“You’re one to talk...” Link mumbled.  
“Yeah, I guess I’m everywhere too, huh? Anyway, there is something I am dying to tell you. It’s the discovery of the century!”

The two partners shared a knowing look, already getting ready for the flow of nonsense that might follow.  
“This is a sacred place known as the Temple of Time. I could not believe my eyes when I saw a human who lives on the legendary Isle of the Goddess!”  
“Really?! What did she look like?”  
“It wore clothes just like the ones written about in the ancient manuscripts! And it looked just like you two!”

So someone was in the Temple of Time, but was it Zelda or that other woman?  
“It came with another person... and they entered the temple! I wanted to chase after them, but the there was an explosion all of a sudden! And the entrance... Well, you can see for yourselves.”  
“Is there another way through?”  
“No, none that I’ve hear of. I don’t think we are getting past this mess. I just wish we could find out what is happening on the other side!”

Link stared at the blocked entrance, feeling almost defeated. They were so close, and yet...!  
“Come on, we gotta go.” Wendy told her, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
“Where? What can we do?”  
“Do you really think there is only on way to the Temple of Time? There has to be a secret passage or something somewhere. So come on! We can’t give up yet!”

And so, they set off again, with no way of knowing where they’d go next.

**Author's Note:**

> So this here was the start of the Zelda timeline in which the Triforce actually has four pieces.


End file.
